Strikers
by Hayley Elderberry
Summary: The Sailor Scouts are evolving in their powers and theirs lives. During this time of upheaval friends, and a couple of more foes, enter the scene. Step into Strikers, an alternate reality fan fic with characters based on Sailor Moon as well as Jendra's fa
1. Strikers Prologue

"Mmm, yes. Master will be fine. Master will be alright. She   
  
will see, master will live once again, and then, oh yes, she will   
  
regret. She will regret. Oh yes. Mmmm."  
  
There was only midnight. Midnight and that voice as it spoke   
  
softly to itself, its echoes reverberating along the walls.   
  
Her heart was thudding against her ribs, cracking from   
  
exertion and strain. Tears were streaming down her eyes. A tearing   
  
stitch formed in her side and she covered it with her hands,   
  
pressing down the pain.   
  
She was running. That was all that was in her mind. She was   
  
running, and if she stopped, she would go back there. She would be   
  
no more. She would become a slave again. A slave to sit in a corner,   
  
a corner of her own mind, and watch as she did things, so many   
  
unimaginable things.   
  
Sweat was pouring down her body, her long black hair plastered   
  
to her face, sea blue eyes widened, to the whites, in fright, her   
  
body rocking wildly against the fear. The sheets of the bed were   
  
tangled over her, crushing her with their minimal weight as she woke   
  
up forcefully from the nightmare.   
  
Heart still beating with the rhythm of an attack, she sighed   
  
and slowly laid down on her back, eyes roaming the room, as she   
  
waited for the fear to subside, and the sun to rise, knowing she   
  
would not be able to sleep for fear of the dream coming again….or   
  
coming true.   
  
A thousand years ago there was a beautiful kingdom. It was the   
  
time of the Silver Millennium. Warriors of that time live today.   
  
They are known as the Sailor Scouts. Yet, these Scouts do not own   
  
their memories. And if the ones who are to protect the Earth today   
  
do not know the past, what is to come of the future? And how can   
  
they be sure they are who they remember themselves to be or that   
  
they remember everyone important in their lives? When it comes to   
  
the point of no return, will they save the Earth, or will they fail,   
  
caught in a web of truth vs. lie, remembrance vs. loss, and good vs.   
  
evil… 


	2. Chapter 1: Aren't You Some Kind of Flowe...

Hayley Elderberry  
  
Strikers  
  
PG-13  
  
Chapter 1: Aren't You Some Kind of Flower?  
  
Disclaimers:  
  
1. Though not the first fan fic I've ever wrote, this is the first   
  
that I'll ever be posting for public display.  
  
2. I do not own Sailor Moon, or the characters of Travis Watson,   
  
Darien Jacobson, or Apollo. Sailor Moon is owned by Naoko   
  
Takeuchi, as well as other companies and such, and the other three   
  
characters are owned by Jendra and appear in the fan fiction story   
  
Universal and Universal B. Her stories are very good and you can   
  
find them on ASMR and Crescent Moon Archives.   
  
3. Why it's not necessary to this story to have read Universal/B,   
  
it would be helpful to at least have a working knowledge of it.   
  
Mainly, know the characters from it and they're relationships with   
  
the other Sailor Moon characters.   
  
4. The rating on this story will fluctuate from PG-13 to R. There   
  
will be some violence and romance along the way, hence the   
  
fluctationgness.   
  
5. As long as I don't make too many mistakes and you can take the   
  
time to, enjoy. I really hope you do.   
  
6. The Strikers, as well as Hunter, are characters I created.   
  
HayleyElderberry@netscape.net  
  
Part 1: A Time to Sit, Relax, and is that the Sun?!? Yay!  
  
The Tokyo streets were busy. After all, it was Saturday   
  
afternoon. The sun was shining brightly and it was only forty   
  
degrees Fahrenheit. After the colder spell just a couple of weeks   
  
ago today felt absolutely delicious to the citizens and many had   
  
come outside for brief sprints in the nicer than lately weather.   
  
In particular a small group of people were wandering around,   
  
window shopping, and generally enjoying each other's company. Two   
  
of them were obviously very much in love, their arms wrapped   
  
around each other. The woman's hair was a shining gold, done up in   
  
two buns on top of her head with ponytails streaming from them,   
  
the man a dark haired complement to her lightness. The last that   
  
made up their party was a man almost as tall as the other, but   
  
light like the woman. They all seemed very close and many   
  
passersby would reflect, for just a moment, about what a loving   
  
trio they made, before hurrying home to their own families.   
  
"Ohh, how cute!" said Serena as she stared in a shop's   
  
window, mesmerized by the glittering things inside.   
  
Darien and Travis smiled at each other, enjoying the company   
  
of the young woman with them.   
  
*It's about time we've had some time together, just to relax   
  
with each other,* thought Travis. *With Darien working hard on his   
  
master's degree and Serena and me studying hard, plus with my job,   
  
and then the Scouts, we've barely managed any time together in the   
  
past couple of weeks. I can't believe how much I needed this.*  
  
Serena, Darien, and Travis traveled down the street happily.   
  
Every once in a while words would be spoken, but more than often   
  
it was just silence, just enjoyment between family. All in all, it   
  
was a nice afternoon. But in the world of Sailor Moon, enjoyment   
  
of life, and time to reflect on it, is very rare. And usually   
  
signals a time when things are about to get a little more hectic.   
  
Part 2: Touch my Chocolate and I kill  
  
On their way to Serena's home they passed by their local   
  
park. About three blocks from it they came across a house that had   
  
been up for sale for awhile, but was now hopping with people   
  
moving in possessions.   
  
"Bout time someone bought that place," said Travis.   
  
"I know. It's been so lonely and sad there for so long. I   
  
hope it's someone nice and around our age," joined Serena.   
  
  
  
Later that day a small car pulled up to the home. Out   
  
stepped a very tall woman with thick black hair. Her eyes were   
  
shielded behind sunglasses, but she had the presence that she had   
  
already taken in everything around her and no matter what   
  
happened, it wouldn't surprise her. From the passenger side of the   
  
car another woman stepped out. She was dressed in a nice business   
  
suit in a bright blue color, which set off her deep blue eyes and   
  
black hair wildly. She was tall, but not as tall as the first and   
  
her face was very open and friendly.   
  
"Nice place," said the second.   
  
"That's right, this is the first you've seen of it, isn't it   
  
Corinne?" asked the first of her friend Corinne Samuels.   
  
"Yup," answered Corinne.   
  
"Well, when the others get here, we'll go take a tour   
  
together, alright?"  
  
"Alright, Lily," said Corinne looking at her friend for a   
  
second. Lily Bates had aged since Corinne had first met her. Of   
  
course, it had been almost nine years ago, when the girls were ten   
  
years old. Even then, Corinne could tell that Lily was a leader.   
  
*She's such a take charge person. There's no way she   
  
couldn't have been leader. She's good at it, though. I just wonder   
  
how she's going to handle being in Tokyo, next to him again.*   
  
Corinne thought to herself.   
  
"I wonder if we'll be able to get some of our groove on in   
  
Tokyo?" asked a deep male voice with a hint of fire riding the   
  
waves of it. The voice belonged to Damon Struthers, a strikingly   
  
tall man with deep black hair and stormy chocolate eyes that   
  
smoked when he was angry or trying very hard for a girl to notice   
  
him.   
  
"Are you really thinking of starting something with someone   
  
else, when we're going to be so close so soon?" asked another male   
  
voice, this belonging to a man of about six feet five inches with   
  
brown wavy hair and light brown eyes.   
  
"Why not Jeffrey?" asked Damon of one of his best friends,   
  
Jeffrey Dannon.   
  
"Well," started a third voice, answering for Jeffrey. "It'd   
  
be wrong."   
  
"Ugh," said Damon. He sighed heavily, and then smiled   
  
lightly at the two. "I know, I just, you know…we really don't know   
  
how long this could take. It's going to be torture to sit there,   
  
to know what we know, and to not… you know… do anything about it."  
  
"I know," said Gabriel Humphrey who was head butting six   
  
feet, had straw colored hair, and bright forest green eyes.   
  
The men sat together, looking forlorn for awhile. Any of   
  
them could have had their choice of girls; unfortunately, their   
  
hearts had all belonged to others, for longer than they cared to   
  
think about.   
  
The car that Jeffrey was driving finally stopped behind   
  
another and the three got out.   
  
"Well, Corinne wants the tour. How about you guys?" asked   
  
Lily as she saw the guys saunter up to her and her friend.   
  
"Sounds good," said Damon.   
  
"Yeah, let's make it a bit long though. I need the chance to   
  
stretch my legs from driving," said Jeffrey.   
  
"Oh, by the way," began Damon innocently as the group made   
  
their way upstairs, "I call a big room."  
  
"Well, there are five rooms. And luckily three of them are   
  
on one side of the house, two are on the other. So, you guys get   
  
to fight over the three together," answered Lily.   
  
"You can have the biggest one of the two on are side, Lily,"   
  
volunteered Corinne. "You're going to need the space for your   
  
morning meetings with Hunter."  
  
"Thanks, Corinne. I really appreciate that."  
  
"No problem, Lil."  
  
"Now that we've spent the first night here, there's some   
  
little rules we need to talk about," began Lily in the morning   
  
after the group officially settled in their new home. "If you eat   
  
my Snickers bar, I will kill you. Now, does anyone else have any   
  
other business?" she ended sweetly after her face had darkened to   
  
a menacing color for a moment.   
  
  
  
Part 3: You Call this Random?  
  
Walking down the street Travis smiled up at the sun. It was   
  
Monday, the sun was shining again, and even though it was cold, it   
  
felt good today.   
  
*I wonder what's going on with me today,* Travis thought to   
  
himself. *I just feel really good, really… alive. Mmm, I like it.*  
  
Travis was still thinking to himself while he was standing   
  
waiting for a crosswalk signal to change when someone bumped into   
  
him from behind.   
  
"Oh, I'm so sorry," said a soft feminine voice. "You will   
  
excuse me, won't you?"  
  
Travis smiled sweetly at her, "Not a problem, here let me   
  
pick that up for you," he offered as he bent over, picking up the   
  
suitcase the woman had been carrying when she bumped into him.   
  
*She's kinda cute.* Travis thought to himself. *Hmm...*  
  
"My name is Travis. Travis Watson. What's yours?"  
  
"Travis? Travis Watson?! Oh my God! I haven't seen you in   
  
almost nine years!!" gushed the woman as her eyes had gone big   
  
after he introduced himself.   
  
Suddenly she hugged him hugely then backed away blushing.   
  
"I'm sorry. You probably don't remember me. You used to date   
  
my cousin, Jessica. My name is Lily Bates." 


	3. Chapter 2: Get Up In Front of the Class ...

Hayley Elderberry  
  
Strikers  
  
PG-13/R  
  
Chapter 2: Get Up in Front of the Class and Introduce Yourself  
  
Disclaimers:   
  
1. Though not the first fan fic I've ever wrote, this is the first   
  
that I'll ever be posting for public display.  
  
2. I do not own Sailor Moon, or the characters of Travis Watson,   
  
Darien Jacobson, or Apollo. Sailor Moon is owned by Naoko   
  
Takeuchi, as well as other companies and such, and the other three   
  
characters are owned by Jendra and appear in the fan fiction story   
  
Universal and Universal B. Her stories are very good and you can   
  
find them on ASMR and Crescent Moon Archives.   
  
3. Why it's not necessary to this story to have read Universal/B,   
  
it would be helpful to at least have a working knowledge of it.   
  
Mainly, know the characters from it and they're relationships with   
  
the other Sailor Moon characters.   
  
4. The rating on this story will fluctuate from PG-13 to R. There   
  
will be some violence and romance along the way, hence the   
  
fluctationgness.   
  
5. As long as I don't make too many mistakes and you can take the   
  
time to, enjoy. I really hope you do.   
  
6. The Strikers, as well as Hunter, are characters I created.   
  
Part 1: A Small Jester  
  
"Master?" came a small voice in the darkness. "Master, are you better yet?   
  
You promised her to me. I want my play. I need my play. My fire. Please master,   
  
I need my fire. Please give me my fire. She needs me! Can't you feel her crying   
  
for me?"  
  
  
  
Part 2: Hello Kitty Slippers?! Doh!  
  
"Lily Bates?! Nine year old little Lily Bates?! Wow! Oh my god, it's been   
  
so long!" exclaimed Travis as he took Lily into his arms for a hug.  
  
*Mmm, yeah, this feels good,* thought Lily to herself as Travis hugged   
  
her. *Wait..what is..oh my god, he smells like chocolate chip cookies.* She took a   
  
couple of deep breaths furtively before he pulled away from her. *Wait, 'nine   
  
year old little Lily Bates'? Dear God….  
  
@@@  
  
She watched as Jessica hugged Travis quickly.   
  
"Don't worry Travis. It's not like we meant anything to each other."  
  
"You meant something to me," said Travis, sorrow in his voice.   
  
"Yeah, of course I did sweetheart," said Jessica as she tapped his face   
  
lightly before turning and walking away.   
  
Travis sat on the bench in the gardens, moonlight lighting up his saddened   
  
face.   
  
"Travis?" came a small voice out of the shadows.   
  
Thirteen year old Travis looked up. "Lily? What are you doing out of bed   
  
sweetheart?"  
  
"I needed a drink; saw you and Jessica out here." Lily said as she looked   
  
down at her Hello Kitty slippers.   
  
*God, I just had to wear these to bed tonight, didn't I?* thought Lily   
  
strongly to herself, while blushing on the outside.   
  
"You should get back to bed Lily. Before your aunt and uncle worry about   
  
you."  
  
"Listen, Travis, I just wanted to let you know," began Lily. She sighed,   
  
looked at Travis, then decided on what to say. "I just wanted to let you know that   
  
I remember you. One day, you'll remember me too. I can wait though." She   
  
paused, and then added "I love you. You love me too. You'll see. You'll love me   
  
again, as much as I love you." Lily finished hurriedly before running to Travis,   
  
hugging him tightly and quickly, then running back to her room.  
  
@@@  
  
*That's how he remembers me,* thought Lily to herself. *Shit. Just,* she   
  
hesitated to herself, trying to articulate the words that just would not come, *shit.*   
  
She sighed.   
  
"So, how's it been Travis? I haven't seen you in such a long time."  
  
"I know Lily," said Travis as he looked at his watch quickly. "Listen, I   
  
don't really have time to talk right now. Would you maybe want to meet up for   
  
coffee or lunch sometime today? Catch up with me on things?"  
  
Lily beamed. *Purrrrfect.*   
  
"I would love to Travis. How about at that café across the street, Daisy   
  
Chains, round noon?"   
  
"That would be perfect," said Travis after looking behind his shoulder to   
  
see the café. "See you then," he said and then went along his way.  
  
Lily turned around and walked in the opposite direction than the one she   
  
had been taking earlier.   
  
*Just perfect.* she thought to herself, grinning slightly.   
  
She lifted a small cell phone to her lips and talked lightly into it.   
  
"Operation started. Target fell. Second contact at the Daisy Chains café,   
  
noon."  
  
Part 3: Ugh.  
  
Pain. Horrid, horrid pain.   
  
*And to think, she's the one that gave this to me,* came a thought into the   
  
darkness of the pain.   
  
"Master?" came a voice somewhere to his left.   
  
He groaned again. *And she couldn't even have done me the favor of   
  
killing all of my underlings. No, she had to leave me with this imbecile.*  
  
Part 4: Sailor Venus to the Rescue!  
  
"You have a sister?"   
  
"Yup, found out about her seven years ago."  
  
"What do you mean, you were adopted?"  
  
"Well.."  
  
Lily and Travis caught up on what had happened to Travis over the years   
  
since Lily had known him. Afterwards they caught up on Lily. She told him about   
  
finding her perfect job, about the friends she had, and about the new house they   
  
had all bought together just a couple of blocks from the Juuban Park.   
  
  
  
  
  
Meanwhile…  
  
  
  
"How's it looking, Mercury?"   
  
"Oh, it's going good. So far, he doesn't seem to think anything strange.   
  
She looks ok," Mercury finished as she looked up the man behind her, named   
  
Mars.   
  
"Well, I guess I'll be seeing you around?" asked Lily as her lunch date   
  
with Travis came to a close.   
  
"Hopefully, I'm kind of busy lately," Travis said, checking his watch and   
  
realizing how late he was going to be getting back to his work.   
  
"Well, I'd really like to meet your sister and her boyfriend, if that would   
  
be ok," Lily began lightly, smiling nicely.  
  
"Sure, I'm sure she would love to meet someone who knew me so long   
  
ago. Well, I need to be getting back to work Lily, as I'm sure you do too. I'll be   
  
seeing you around, ok?" asked Travis as he made his way out of the eatery.   
  
"Sure, Travis. See you."  
  
"Ahhh, someone please help me!!!!!!!!" came a scream once the two were   
  
outside of the restaurant.   
  
Travis' and Lily's eyes got big, looked at each other, then quickly ran   
  
towards the scream, along with many other people, and each purposefully lost the   
  
other in the crowd.   
  
"Oh, Darien, it's so nice to have this time with you," said Serena as she   
  
cuddled up next to her soul-mate on a bench at the Juuban Park.   
  
"I know what you mean sweetheart," said Darien, resting his head on top   
  
of hers lightly.   
  
Serena sighed and looked around, enjoying the bright sunshine, even if the   
  
weather was cold. The forecasters were saying it was just a freak weather break,   
  
and soon the weather temperature would start dropping to about the twenties or   
  
so.   
  
"At least today is nice though," said Serena, sighing again. Her eyes   
  
wandered languidly around, until finally resting above, looking at the sky, then   
  
suddenly growing wide.   
  
"Reenie!" she screamed as she saw the small lump fall from the sky.   
  
Darien looked up and his Tuxedo Mask instincts kicked in instantly as he   
  
ran under his future daughter and caught her.   
  
"Hiyas!" screamed Reenie as she started a choke hold with a strength   
  
resembling her mother's on Darien's neck.   
  
"What's going on Small Lady? Are you alright? Is the future alright?"   
  
asked Serena, her mouth going a mile a minute with questions while her fingers   
  
traveled her daughter quickly to make sure everything was alright from her fall.   
  
"Mommy!" Reenie cried as she flung herself from Darien and into   
  
Serena's arms. Serena hugged her tightly before setting her down on the ground   
  
and looking at her some more. "Everything's alright Mommy. Puu just said that I   
  
should come here for awhile and Mommy and Daddy agreed."  
  
"Well, as long as your parents agreed, than I guess it's ok," said Serena as   
  
she wondered what reason Sailor Pluto would have to make sure that Reenie was   
  
sent back to the past.  
  
*Unless a new enemy is coming,* Serena thought to herself as her   
  
communicator started beeping. *Oh great. Jinx!*  
  
Around the corner from the Daisy Chains café Sailor Sol was alone in   
  
fighting a youma until back up arrived. Unfortunately, he wasn't having the best   
  
of luck with it and when Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask ran up beside him he   
  
wasn't too surprised that Sailor Crescent Moon was with them.   
  
*Great, future thing, great. Oh, youma, right.* he thought to himself as he   
  
tried his next attack.   
  
"How are they doing?" asked Striker Earth as she joined Strikers Mercury   
  
and Mars.  
  
"So far so good, considering that thing entangles them in spider webs,"   
  
said Mercury.   
  
"That would be very uncomfortable," said Striker Mars.  
  
"Can you imagine trying to wash that out of some more sensitive areas?"   
  
came another voice.  
  
"Hi, Venus. Where's Jupiter?" asked Striker Earth as Mars let out a snort   
  
of appreciative laughter.   
  
"He was coming in from the other side of town, in the north, so he should   
  
be over there."   
  
"Great. Venus, you go to the south, Mars why don't you take east, we'll   
  
handle west," said Striker Earth as she commanded her small band.   
  
"Solar Flare!" screamed Sailor Sol as he attacked the youma, which   
  
dodged it expertly.   
  
"Jupiter Thunderclap Zap!" joined in Sailor Jupiter with her attack as she   
  
and the other scouts joined in the fray.   
  
"This thing can dodge everything!" groaned Sailor Moon as, once again,   
  
the youma dodged another attack. "We're going to have to figure a way to get   
  
close enough to it so that it can't dodge anymore. Mercury, start working on   
  
something with your computer."  
  
Sailor Moon stared at the youma for a moment. Over the past seven years,   
  
when she had first found her twin brother Travis, she had grown a lot. One way   
  
she had grown was in tactical thinking during a fight, and she used this now to her   
  
best advantage.   
  
"Sol, attack with your sword. Mars, while it's distracted see if you can put   
  
one of your charms on it, afterwards, Jupiter and Tuxedo Mask can physically   
  
assault it as Sol tries some more with the sword. Everyone got that?" asked Sailor   
  
Moon, looking at the people she was involving in this fight.   
  
"Got it," everyone agreed.   
  
"Alright, let's hope this works."  
  
Sailor Sol pulled his Sun Sword out of its scabbard and advanced slowly   
  
on the youma. Suddenly he sprang forward towards it, raised his sword, jumped to   
  
attack and was about to open his mouth to scream his attack when he was spun up   
  
into a spider like web that soon began to suck all of his energy from him.   
  
"Sol!" screamed Sailor Moon as she saw the cocoon capture her brother.   
  
"Don't worry, we'll get him out," said Tuxedo Mask, looking worriedly at   
  
the cocoon and trying to think of a way to do what he promised at the same time.   
  
"Ahh!" screamed someone from behind them. Sailor Moon and Tuxedo   
  
Mask turned from looking at Sailor Sol's shell to find that the youma had also   
  
wrapped up Sailor Mercury and Mars, perceiving them to be the biggest threat to   
  
it because of Mar's charms and Mercury's tactical skills on the computer.   
  
"This is not going good," said Sailor Venus as she and Jupiter regrouped   
  
with Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask.   
  
"Moon Tiara Magic!" screamed Sailor Moon in a desperate attempt to free   
  
her family.  
  
Sailor Crescent Moon noticed her mother's attack and joined in with her's   
  
as well, "Crescent Moon Tiara Magic!"  
  
The youma noticed the attacks and quickly drew the three cocoons it had   
  
made of some of the Sailor Scouts around itself for protection.  
  
"Oh no! Tiara return!" screamed both Scouts.   
  
The tiaras returned immediately, and disgustingly, the youma smiled.   
  
Huge gnarled yellow razor blades of teeth gleamed wickedly from it's spider like   
  
body and its eyes gleamed a flat burnt umber. The ground around its feet suddenly   
  
started to shake and crack. Long spidery arms emerged from the cracks and the   
  
bodies of three more spider youmas could be seen.   
  
"Oh hell," said Sailor Jupiter, eyes big.   
  
"Go?' asked Striker Mercury, looking at the newly emerged bodies of the   
  
spider youmas with a cool eye.  
  
"Not yet. They've gotten out of worse situations before, maybe they can   
  
get out of this one. Just tell the others to be prepared to step in if need be,"   
  
answered Striker Earth.  
  
"What do we do?" cried Sailor Venus as one of the youmas in front used   
  
the cocoons of the scouts to block any attacks while the other three hurriedly   
  
scuttled down streets and alleys and returned with more cocoons, more people in   
  
danger, more shields from any advance the scouts could muster.   
  
Watching as her friends were hurting, watching as her life and the life of   
  
her friends were put into danger, watching as Tuxedo Mask had an uncertain look   
  
on his face, and as Sailor Crescent Moon was holding her mother's hand, her eyes   
  
scared, watching as even Sailor Jupiter and Sailor Moon looked uncertain and   
  
scared, watching as the anger grew, Sailor Venus suddenly knew what to do.   
  
Venus threw back her hair, focused on not only one but all four youmas,   
  
and suddenly yelled her attack towards the heavens. "VENUS DEIFY   
  
MADNESS!" she screamed as she thrust her hands towards the offenders and   
  
small wisps of smoke came softly, but hurriedly, from them. The wisps floated   
  
softly through the air and seeped into the spiders.   
  
The youmas looked at one another and smiled, knowledge between them   
  
of what a puny human Sailor Venus was. Then their eyes kind of glazed, and their   
  
minds began to think, and to realize they were inside the mind of a God as slowly   
  
her attack pervaded into their pores. Their bodies began to shudder and seizure   
  
and they dropped their cocoon shields as they fell to the ground, eight spidery legs   
  
over their heads, to block out the madness convulsing over them.   
  
Seeing that Venus's attack wasn't strong enough to kill them, Sailor Moon   
  
hurriedly pulled out her scepter and finished the youmas off with a little help from   
  
Sailor Jupiter. Then, taking a quick wide eyed glance at Sailor Venus, who had   
  
collapsed onto her knees, trying to catch her breath, Sailor Moon hurriedly went   
  
to help her brother and the other Scouts up from the disappeared cocoons that had   
  
been holding them.   
  
"Now THAT was impressive," said Striker Venus, a note of pride in his   
  
voice.   
  
"Yeah," said Striker Jupiter a bit enviously, "that was very cool."  
  
"Personally, I think that was a bit too close," said Striker Mars, with an icy   
  
glare at Earth. "I just don't understand why we're still waiting to help them out."  
  
"Would you rather help them out now, or lose the element of surprise later   
  
when we could really do some damage?" asked Striker Earth as she remained   
  
calm. "Listen, Jupiter, why don't you follow a group of them, see what's going   
  
on, Venus, take another group, and everyone meet up at the house tonight around   
  
six. We're having a meeting."  
  
Everyone nodded and then went off their separate ways.   
  
"That was too close," said Raye as she looked at the friends around her.   
  
"Yeah, tell me about it," said Travis. "If it hadn't been for Mina…" he left   
  
the sentence unfinished, each person in the room filling in the blank.   
  
"I don't know what came over me," said Mina, looking down at the floor.   
  
"Well, it sounds like you experienced something similar before," said   
  
Amy. "Remember when you first used your love chain? That was a very similar   
  
situation."  
  
"That happened when we were fighting Ann and Alan. Does that mean   
  
they're back?" asked Mina with a frown.  
  
"I don't think so," said Serena. "They know who we really are; they   
  
wouldn't have just sent a youma. If they were really back, and that's saying   
  
they've turned back to evil, then they would just go after us personally. This   
  
looked like just another one of those last ditch efforts the Negaverse has been   
  
making lately."   
  
"I wonder if they're really last ditch efforts or if they're just gearing up for   
  
something," said Amy with a small look towards Reenie, indicating that they   
  
hadn't heard the last of the Negaverse for a while if Serena's future daughter was   
  
with them, a sign that maybe something important was about to happen.   
  
"I certainly hope so," said Lita, worry in her voice as she thought of the   
  
last fight and how close the outcome had been.   
  
"I just don't understand!" screamed Damon. "Why couldn't we have   
  
helped them? You saw how close it got!"  
  
"Damon, I understand, really I do, but you have got to understand that we   
  
just can't go in there with guns blazing. We have to think this out rationally. We   
  
all know something is about to happen, god, we can feel it in the air. If we lose   
  
the element of surprise now, then it's gone, and we can't ever get it back. What if   
  
we need it later on down the road? I know that you miss your family, and I   
  
promise that you'll be with them shortly, but for now, we have to just sit tight and   
  
wait. We can't fail now, not after all these years."  
  
"I'm sorry to say it, but Lily is right," came a deep resonating voice from   
  
behind the two which had spoken. The group in the room turned to look at the   
  
lithe new comer, respect and admiration in their glances.   
  
"Hunter, glad you could join us," said Damon, a smirk on his lips. "You   
  
look a little ruffled there buddy, what, couldn't find any rats to satisfy you?"  
  
The man called Hunter turned his amber hawk like eyes towards Damon, a   
  
small glint in them, "Don't mess with me tonight boy." He said. "I've had more   
  
than a few feathers ruffled today."  
  
"Sorry Hunter," Damon said, instantly contrite. Both liked to throw small   
  
burrs at each other, but both also knew when the other wasn't in the mood.   
  
"Where have you been, Hunter?" asked Corinne, one of her small hands   
  
linked with Gabriel, her thumb lightly making circles along the back of his hand.   
  
"Here and there munchkin," answered Hunter with a wink at Corinne.   
  
Hunter and Lily shared a quick smile with each other and then everyone   
  
got on with business, Hunter telling the rest of the group of the intelligence he had   
  
managed to gather on his last mission.   
  
"The gist of it is there's a new boss in town. No one was saying a word   
  
about him though. Only after some very deep digging was I able to manage to   
  
find that he was fascinated with tales from Earth about the Vikings and he's set up   
  
a community based on their civilization. He has his people live the myths, defend   
  
his surrounding territory by water, and he makes his people travel by boat on the   
  
outskirts of his territory trying to gain more power. I was able to infiltrate his   
  
major metropolis one night. It was very interesting. There were fights among   
  
men, most of the women were either serving drinks or on top of a small stage   
  
dancing for the enjoyment of the men. It was very, very interesting." Hunter   
  
concluded.  
  
"I imagine," said Lily with a small look which Hunter blushed to. "In a   
  
week Corinne and I will try to infiltrate this man's metropolis; what did you say   
  
its and his name was?"  
  
"The city is called Valhalla, of course. The man's name is Odin.   
  
Obviously he's very into the Viking and Norse mythology."  
  
"I don't quite like the fact of you two girls going," said Jeffery. "I mean,   
  
wouldn't we be able to move around more than you would?"  
  
"No," said Corinne. "Among other men they would be secretive of their   
  
actions. When a man of that thinking was with a woman he wouldn't think of her   
  
as a person, merely a thing, so information better left secret would be no problem   
  
to attain. So, in essence, though we have physical limitations to the places we'd   
  
be able to go, we'd be in a much safer and better place to gather information than   
  
you three would."  
  
"Exactly," said Lily. "Now that all this is settled, how about those of us   
  
who should be on duty get to it, and those of us who should be sleeping get to that   
  
and other business. Everyone check in at 7 a.m. tomorrow morning. Good night."  
  
*It's SOOO cold!* raged Serena to herself the following day, covered   
  
head to toe in extra layers along with scarves and hats to keep herself warm in the   
  
biting cold. Though the temperature wasn't bad, the wind chill was taking it's toll,   
  
and the extra layers of clothes was adding some much needed warmth to her small   
  
body. She was walking with Reenie to her parent's house so that they could spend   
  
the day with her. Last night she had stayed with Serena and Darien in their   
  
apartment and so the grandparents hadn't been able to see much of her except at a   
  
special emergency family dinner when they learned she was in town.   
  
The two were walking past Juuban Park and Serena looked up excitedly.   
  
"Up here is where Travis says a friend of his from before he moved to   
  
Japan now lives. I can't wait to meet her. It sounded like Travis had a crush on   
  
her. Hehe, I really can't wait to meet her after hearing that sound in his voice,"   
  
said Serena to her future daughter as they past the park's entrance.   
  
"Uh-oh," said Reenie as they heard a scream of pure terror coming from   
  
the park.   
  
"Ugh," said Serena as she hurriedly called the others on her communicator   
  
and then found a well hidden place to transform with Reenie.   
  
"There's a youma in Juuban Park. All Striker's to Juuban Park," said Lily   
  
as she also heard the screams then moments later watched the two women below   
  
her transform.   
  
Lily touched a small necklace that lay in between her chest and focused   
  
her energy quickly as she let her own transformation envelope her. Colorful   
  
ribbons exploded around her, wrapped themselves around her, and then fell   
  
slowly away from her body to reveal Striker Earth, whom hurriedly jumped from   
  
rooftop to rooftop to park to catch up with the two Sailor Scouts.   
  
*At least it's not spiders this time,* thought Sailor Jupiter to herself as she   
  
ran, dodging attack after attack. This youma had the appearance of a gelatinous   
  
mass and had quickly separated into two masses when it had been hit with Sailor   
  
Moon's attack and since then the Scouts hadn't been able to get a hit on either   
  
mass since.   
  
"I think we may actually need to step in on this one," said Striker Earth as   
  
she watched the battle from a tree, hidden from view.   
  
Suddenly the two attacked at once, firing rapidly and hitting Sailor Venus,   
  
Mercury, and Jupiter and trapping them in a goo from it's body.   
  
"Not again!" said Sailor Mercury as she tried to wiggle her arms, hands, or   
  
legs free, but she soon found the more she struggled the tighter the goo became   
  
around her, and so she quickly subsided her thrashings.   
  
"Just hold on!" said Mars as she dodged glob after glob of the same stuff   
  
that had trapped the others.   
  
"These roses aren't doing a damn thing!" Tuxedo Mask screamed in   
  
frustration. "Earth Gem Power!" he cried, turning from Tuxedo Mask into Sailor   
  
Earth.   
  
"Earth Tectonic"  
  
"No!" screamed Sailor Moon. "We can't take the chance it could separate   
  
again! We're almost outnumbered as it is!"  
  
While Sailor Moon had been talking to Sailor Earth neither had noticed   
  
that Sailor Crescent Moon had been dodging an attack but hadn't quite got clear   
  
enough when some of the goo landed on her feet, gluing her to the ground. She   
  
looked up with wide eyes as one of the youmas advanced on her, stretching itself   
  
thin, almost surrounding her, to trap her inside of its body.   
  
"Mommy! Daddy!" she cried.  
  
"Reenie!" Sailor Moon screamed as she saw the predicament her daughter   
  
was in, and in fright screaming her real name. "No!"  
  
"Earth Volcanic Eruption!" screamed Striker Earth as she suddenly   
  
appeared in front of Sailor Crescent Moon, her hands spread out in front of her,   
  
palms towards the ground at the feet of the youma that was trying to attack   
  
Crescent Moon. As soon as she had said the last syllable minor tremors and   
  
quakes appeared beneath the ground of the youma. Suddenly the ground split   
  
open and liquid hot magma poured vertically into the sky, towering above the   
  
youma and surrounding it. The walls around the youma slammed closed and   
  
boiled it inside then slowly returned the earth back to normal, the youma gone.   
  
"Who the hel..." began Sailor Mars as everyone, friend and foe alike,   
  
stared at the newcomer.   
  
"Yo hoo," said Striker Mercury, waving sweetly at the youma. "Bye, bye.   
  
Mercury Ice Capsule Collapse!" she cried as shards of ice flew from her   
  
outstretched hands and puzzle pieced themselves together around the youma.   
  
When they were done an ice blue crystal was around it and it suddenly began to   
  
crack, then it exploded inward, and that youma was gone as well.   
  
The goo had disappeared around the Scouts and they all just stared at the   
  
newcomers.   
  
"Who are you?" Sailor Moon finally asked.   
  
"We're friends," said Striker Earth as she pointed to the group behind her   
  
and Mercury, which included the guys who had stepped up to help in case they   
  
were needed. They waved sheepishly; two of the guys staring at some of the   
  
Scouts like thirsty men in a dessert stare at water, hungrily.   
  
The group smiled, and then turned to leave.   
  
"Wait," said Sailor Sol, staring at Striker Earth. "Don't. Tell us who you   
  
are if you're our friends."  
  
Striker Earth smiled sweetly at Sailor Sol, a misty expression in her eyes   
  
as the wind blew her long black hair around her face. "Now's not the time. We'll   
  
be seeing you." She said, and then the group was gone. 


End file.
